On his second tour of duty in an Asian professional baseball league, Canadian Scott Richmond is hoping things go a little better than they did the first time around. Richmond, who had originally signed to play with the Lotte Giants of the KBO (Korean Baseball Organization) three years ago, never threw one pitch. His plans of playing in Asia while being immersed in a fascinating and exotic culture were never realized because of a torn left meniscus in spring training.
“It was just one of those freak things—you field a bunt at third, you push off with your right leg, your left leg catches, you put some weight on it and I tore it,” Richmond told Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi last summer.
Jump to 2016 and Richmond is back in Asia to try his luck again with the EDA Rhinos of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Richmond will don the EDA purple and white when he takes the mound for the first time Wednesday, March 30, as his Rhinos face the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City.
Richmond has 169 Major League Baseball innings under his belt with nine wins and 139 strikeouts, all with the Toronto Blue Jays. Arguably his best season came in 2009 when in March he was Team Canada's ace in the World Baseball Classic. In April of that same year, he went on to win the American League Rookie of the Month. He most recently appeared in an MLB game in 2012.
Richmond will be looking to build off an extremely successful 2015 campaign in which he was part of an outstanding rotation that helped Canada win gold over rivals USA in dramatic comeback fashion at the Pan Am Games. Later that year he was stellar again for Canada as they went undefeated in division play of the Premier12 in Taiwan.
The 36-year-old Richmond, who hails from Vancouver on the West coast of Canada, is hoping to help the Rhinos improve on a tepid 2015 campaign and perhaps lead his team to their first-ever Taiwan Series title in 2016.
“It was just one of those freak things—you field a bunt at third, you push off with your right leg, your left leg catches, you put some weight on it and I tore it,” Richmond told Sportsnet.ca's Shi Davidi last summer.
Jump to 2016 and Richmond is back in Asia to try his luck again with the EDA Rhinos of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). Richmond will don the EDA purple and white when he takes the mound for the first time Wednesday, March 30, as his Rhinos face the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City.
Richmond has 169 Major League Baseball innings under his belt with nine wins and 139 strikeouts, all with the Toronto Blue Jays. Arguably his best season came in 2009 when in March he was Team Canada's ace in the World Baseball Classic. In April of that same year, he went on to win the American League Rookie of the Month. He most recently appeared in an MLB game in 2012.
Richmond will be looking to build off an extremely successful 2015 campaign in which he was part of an outstanding rotation that helped Canada win gold over rivals USA in dramatic comeback fashion at the Pan Am Games. Later that year he was stellar again for Canada as they went undefeated in division play of the Premier12 in Taiwan.
The 36-year-old Richmond, who hails from Vancouver on the West coast of Canada, is hoping to help the Rhinos improve on a tepid 2015 campaign and perhaps lead his team to their first-ever Taiwan Series title in 2016.
I followed him a bit when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays and he has some plus pitches, but his 12-6 curve ball has been described by some baseball experts as one of the best in the business.
ReplyDeleteHopefully he will be able to bring some of his magic to the aid of the sluggish Rhinos this season.
You sound like a Chiropractor....
DeleteNice insight. Rhinos looked really bad at the plate over the weekend. Maybe the days off will help them readjust and lend some support to Richmond vs the Lions, who will be without their DH and clean-up hitter Felix Pie
ReplyDelete